1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is so easily my all time favorite vampire property that it's tough to remind myself that I actually loved the children of the night long before Buffy ever moved to Sunnydale. In fact, I loved them back in grade school when the only thing "Buffy" signified to me was the little sister of a girl named Emily that I crushed on. 2. Homoerotic Vampires. Bless Anne Rice for bringing this subgenre to the mainstream (I still love thinking of Brad Pitt's 'little death' in the Interview movie) but I'm letting Poppy Z Brite's Lost Souls stand in here for the photographic representation of vampires who bite both necks and pillows. 3. Near Dark (1987) which you have not seen. tsk tsk. "finger lickin' good" 4. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). The best vampire movie ever may well be Werner Herzog's Nosferatu but this is the one I always think of when the subject arises, both for its miracles and its follies, either of which can arguably and accurately represent what vampires are capable of if you manage to catch their reflection on celluloid.
Are you excited for HBO's True Blood?Or is the media correcting in trumpeting your total obsession with awaiting Twilight's arrival in December?
And given this impending next wave of undead fervor --the vampires may yet steal the beastly movie crown back from the zombies who now control it -- why didn't CBS think to stick it out one more season with Moonlight?
I always have so many bloody questions. Give me lots of answers.
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14 comments:
Gary Oldman was fantastic in Coppola's version of Dracula, but I remember also being rather impressed by Sadie Frost.
Another interesting vampire movie was THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES starring Jude Law. I think it was released here in the States with the boring title IMMORTALITY. Not a great film, but, as I said, interesting.
I've read Lost Souls more times than I can count--I'm so happy you mentioned it.
Near Dark is indeed amazing.
Lost Souls sounds intriguing! I will have to pick up a copy next time I walk by a bookstore-as I have a strong aversion to libraries, in fact.
My first encounter with the "creatures of the night", was with the tv series Dark Shadows and Barnabas Collins, my family saw entirely when was little, of course not at its original release back in the 60's, i'm not that old..haha. Years after that i saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the original film, and it was fun.
Then my eyes saw the truly amazing Coppola's Dracula, and i just loved the film, the sets, the costumes, Oldman's blilliant performance and the most chilling score since psycho.
Interview with the vampire, was another triumph for me, and just our years later the Buffy tv series was released. After that, it was official, i really like vampires.
I need to see more..i want more.. muahahaha....
Near Dark is one of my mom's favorite movies. She's made me sit through it with her at least twice. It is a fine film indeed.
And I neglected to mention - I'm winding my way through Buffy for the very first time. I'm just now starting the fifth season. Anya is my favorite, ever.
I've always loved the old school vampires, Nosferatu (duh), and I still think that the 1931 Dracula is pretty amazing. I do love Near Dark though, one of the best, if not THE best, "reimagining" of the vampire legend.
I could go into a long rant that modern vampire material doesn't understand the unique themes that are brought up through vampires, but I'll spare you.
I'm looking forward to True Blood because I love Six Feet Under, but the teasers for Twighlight made me cringe.
Twilight? They made a vampire movie with Rod Serling?
Oh, wait, you talking about one of the few series of vampire novels I haven't read yet. (I'm beginning to think it's not humanly possible to read every vampire novel out there, and I stopped trying a long time ago, but still...)
Anyway, I agree with you, Nathaniel, on the love for Buffy. I'm not thatt wild about Poppy Z. Brite (pillow biting?) but hey, she sounds like a better choice than say, Laurell Hamilton.
Don't even get me started on Coppola's Dracula but I do agree with you about Near Dark which was surprisingly poetic for a vampire movie.
And as much as I love Charlaine Harris' work, I can't help but wonder if even cable TV can do her work justice.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed...So to speak...
The vampire that gives me nightmares is definitley Max Schrek in the early silent Nosferatu. I liked the Willem Dafoe take on the character in his vampire movie.
For vampire novels, my favorites are Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's series of Saint-Germain chronicles. I love the terrific historical background she has for each book, set all over the world and all different epochs as St.Germain tries to avoid wars and witch hunts and religious hysteria.
Ahhh, good old Lost Souls. I don't think I can even begin to explain how much I adore that book. I'm excited for True Blood solely 'cause of Alan Ball, I tried reading the books numerous times but could never get more than a few pages through them.
anyone saw "nadja" with peter fonda? i remember it being really good. and of course, there's shadow of the vampire with dafoe in arguably his greatest role. it's a pity that most vampire movies now have to have that rocknroll slant.
I was so happy to see "Moonlight" get cancelled. It's rare that I root for a show to fail (at least, a show that isn't about a tubby, insensitive man married to a hot, naggy woman) but "Moonlight" actually offended me with its awfulness. I couldn't bear the thought of it going on while "Veronica Mars" was cancelled.
As for me and vampires? I'm a "Buffy" and "Angel" man. Vampires don't get much better than that.
Lost Souls = HOT.
I probably dated myself terribly by thinking of "Moonlighting" when I read "Moonlight".
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